This invention relates to aquatic marker buoys. More particularly, it relates to marker buoys used by fishermen to dispense a weighted twine to indicate the position of an underwater object.
For many years fishermen have used various configurations of marker buoys to indicate the location of a favorite fishing spot or the location of some underwater object which is not visible from the surface. A good marker buoy should be highly visible from the surface and should be reasonably stable in that it will not wander too far from the object which it is marking, particularly in windy situations.
There are several marker buoys currently on the market which include an elongated length of twine having a lead weight attached to one end, with the other end of the twine wrapped about a central portion or spool. One example of such a marker is the Lindy Dogbone Marker Buoy which is shaped somewhat like a barbell, having a narrow cylindrical portion receiving the twine with a sphere on each end which act as floats. One of the problems with a buoy of this configuration is that in windy conditions the spool will continue to dispense twine even after the leaded weight has bottomed out. Manufacturers have gone to great lengths to stabilize buoys, for example, adding ballast weights. However, this greatly increases the cost of the buoy.
Another problem which has yet to be solved by buoy manufacturers is the cumbersome way in which the twine is retracted onto the spool. Obviously the twine is wet, and sometimes cold, and quite often if the buoy has been in place for several days or weeks algae has formed on the twine. In prior art buoys it is necessary for the fisherman to hold one side of the buoy with one hand and hold the twine with his other hand while wrapping the twine about the central portion or spool of the buoy as he allows the twine to slide through his hands. Obviously this method of retracting twine onto the buoy is very cumbersome, time consuming, and can be very unpleasant.